Latest about Metallica
The guitar gear secrets behind James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett’s tones on 72 Seasons
Metallica co-producer Greg Fidelman reveals how the new album was made with the help of a Marshall modded by Eddie Van Halen’s amp wizard and a rack full of battle-hardened guitars, including one that makes Hetfield “immediately want to play fast riffs”
Metallica’s Kirk Hammett: “With 72 Seasons, I improvised 20, 30 solos, gave them all to Lars and Greg Fidelman, and went, ‘You guys edit them!’”
Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo draw back the curtain on the metal album of the year: the gear shakeups, the Angus Young and Ritchie Blackmore-inspired guitar approach, and the response to critics of Kirk’s improvisational soloing approach
James Hetfield recalls Dimebag Darrell introducing him to solid-state amps: “He had this freaking amazing crunch going on”
The Metallica frontman was asked about his time with the Pantera legend and credited Darrell for making him question his tube tone
James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett debut new ESP and Gibson guitars at first show of M72 world tour
Papa Het has a fresh Vulture, while Hammett’s uber-rare ’59 Les Paul got its first-ever runout for the set’s surprise opener
Kirk Hammett explains why he uses wah so much: "I can't think of anybody who uses the wah pedal as much as I do – I'm not ashamed of it"
The Metallica guitarist addresses criticism of his frequent use of the effect and explains what it unlocks in his playing
Watch Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Joe Perry join Metallica for a pulverizing performance of Train Kept A-Rollin' at 2009’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony
The two Yardbirds alumni and Aerosmith icon – who each had history with the song – were joined by Ronnie Wood and Flea for the rendition, which featured a who's who of rhythm heroes and lead legends
Kirk Hammett reveals the truth about that burned guitar on Metallica’s 72 Seasons album cover
Is it a Fernandes Stratocaster copy? Well, not exactly
Cliff Burton wrote one of Metallica’s heaviest riffs on a de-tuned classical guitar
Kirk Hammett: “To this day, I think: ‘How did Cliff write that?’”
Guitarist who re-recorded Metallica’s Lux Æterna solo responds to Kirk Hammett’s defence: “The solos sound lazy and completely throwaway”
In a blunt rebuttal of Hammett’s comments, YouTuber Bradley Hall – who first criticized the song's solo by remaking it – labeled the lead playing as having “super-regurgitated, boring, lazy phrasing”
